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Self-Driving Cars Under Scrutiny After Crashes
8 May
Summary
- NHTSA investigates Avride autonomous vehicles following multiple crashes.
- Vehicles reportedly showed excessive assertiveness and failed to avoid obstacles.
- Some incidents involved property damage and one reported minor injury.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating startup Avride's autonomous vehicles following a series of incidents. The agency is examining whether the vehicles exhibited excessive assertiveness and insufficient capability, potentially leading to traffic safety violations.
These concerns stem from 16 reported crashes where Avride's vehicles allegedly changed lanes into other vehicles and failed to avoid road hazards. Some of these crashes resulted in property damage, with one incident reporting a minor injury.
Avride, which operates some vehicles on Uber's platform and has offered passenger services in Dallas since December, has welcomed the investigation. The company stated that all incidents involved vehicles under the supervision of trained safety operators and that many events were precipitated by other road users.
NHTSA's preliminary review included instances of vehicles changing lanes improperly, failing to stop for traffic, and striking stationary objects. The investigation aims to assess the scope of potential risks to passengers and other road users.
